1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for growing plants under artificial lights, and pertains more particularly to a method and apparatus for increasing the spacing between rows of plants contained in parallel troughs as the plants mature and become larger in a soilless growth chamber.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The hydroponic or soilless growing of plants is not new. Numerous efforts have been made, particularly by those interested in conducting only small scale growing operations for personal consumption. Owing to increased transportation costs and other factors, the mass growing of plants under controlled hydroponic conditions has proved to be commercially feasible. One such system is described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,028,847, granted on June 14, 1977 to Davis et al, and titled "Apparatus for Producing Plants." While this apparatus has considerable merit, it does not possess as much versatility as is sometimes desired. Also, the trays do not lend themselves readily to efficient cleaning. A highly advantageous feature of the patent is the spacing of plants farther apart as they mature or grow. In a sense, the present method and apparatus, as far as the spacing feature is concerned, can be deemed to be an improvement over the apparatus described in the aforesaid patent, largely due to the simplicity of our arrangement coupled with still other advantages hereinafter enumerated.